Travis Barker

Biography

Travis Barker is perhaps the most famous rock drummer since Tommy Lee. He has made some surprising musical turns, from pop-punks blink-182 to kitschy trash talkers the Transplants to a stint as a hip-hop producer. Barker joined his first band out of high school, ska-rockers the Aquabats. When the Aquabats toured with blink-182 in 1998, Tom DeLonge and Mark Hoppus poached Barker. The trio went on to release 1999's Enema of the State, and their double-platinum follow-up, Take Off Your Pants and Jacket, followed two years later. By 2002, Barker was indulging in numerous side projects, including Box Car Racer, the Transplants and +44 (with DeLonge). Blink-182 released one more album, self-titled, in 2003 before Hoppus split for a solo career; the trio has since reunited. Meanwhile, Barker continued to flit around in various gigs, from TRV$DJAM with the late DJ AM to Expensive Taste with Paul Wall and Skinhead Rob. He nurtured a growing interest in hip-hop, making beats for T.I., Bun B and Lil Wayne, and adding drums to tracks by the Game and Wale. For his 2011 solo debut, Give the Drummer Some, Barker combined the best of both worlds, mixing rap, rock and punk in one booming package.